On a summer night in Allen Park, Michigan, a group of women took the field to do what many still consider unconventional: play full-contact tackle football. They blocked, ran, threw, and tackled with the same grit and intensity found in any traditional football game. But for these athletes—daughters, mothers, sisters, and grandmothers—the stakes are more than just a scoreboard. They’re playing for respect, representation, and the future of women’s football.
At the heart of this quiet revolution are teams like the Detroit Prowl and the MIFA All-Stars of Ontario, competing in the American Women’s Football League (AWFL). With 18 teams across eight states and Canada, this league is part of a growing movement to bring women’s tackle football out of the shadows and onto the national stage.
“We Do It All Just Like the Boys”—And Often With More
For Kelly Bernadyn, Detroit’s punter and a full-time EMT and fitness instructor, the game is personal. Injuries are part of the deal, but so is a fierce love for the sport.
“I use my own health insurance when I am injured, same with all of my other teammates,” she said. “But at the end of the day, it’s worth every dollar I’ve paid.”
Her words echo the passion that drives many women to pay out-of-pocket for equipment, travel, and medical costs, all to play a sport that still doesn’t pay them back financially—but offers an unmatched sense of camaraderie, strength, and pride.
Despite the risks of injury, from torn ACLs to broken bones, these women keep showing up, week after week, fueled by a shared mission: proving that football is not just a man’s game.
A Growing Movement: From Community Fields to ESPN
What was once considered a niche passion is gaining visibility. The AWFL, although still relatively under the radar, will hold its second championship on July 12, streamed via BAWLLR TV. Though Detroit lost in the first round, their story is part of a broader wave building momentum across the U.S. and Canada.
Two national leagues—the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) and the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA)—are pushing even harder into the mainstream. And now, they’re playing championship games in NFL venues and broadcasting on ESPN2.
This July, the WNFC championship will take place at the Dallas Cowboys’ Ford Center, and the WFA title game returns to the Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, highlighting how far the sport has come.
“When someone sees the WNFC for the first time, it opens up the possibilities,” said Odessa Jenkins, WNFC founder. “There’s no greater joy than to open up new possibilities for yourself and others.”
More Than a Game: A Platform for Representation
The rise of women’s tackle football is not just about sports—it’s about visibility, equality, and legacy. Former WFA players like Katie Sowers—the first woman to coach in a Super Bowl—and Jennifer King, the first Black full-time female NFL coach, show what’s possible when women are given a seat at the table.
King, now part of the WNFC’s advisory board, believes the next step should be a unified league.
“When you have two champions, you want to know who’s the best,” she said. “It would be great to have one Super League.”
Sowers agrees. The challenge, however, is merging leagues that have already built separate identities, infrastructure, and visions. Still, both leaders see the potential for greater collaboration and more resources if the sport wants to compete at a professional level.
The NFL and the Olympic Opportunity
While the NFL has not formally partnered with women’s tackle football leagues, there’s cautious optimism. Roman Oben, the NFL’s vice president of football development, acknowledged the dedication of female athletes and said conversations are ongoing.
Meanwhile, the NFL is heavily investing in flag football, which will debut as an Olympic sport in 2028. That exposure, Jenkins argues, could serve as a pipeline into tackle football—just as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have lifted the WNBA by boosting interest in girls’ basketball.
“Flag football is putting the ball in the hands of more girls and women than ever,” Jenkins said. “Now we have brands stepping up to alleviate some of the financial pressure on our players—and that’s what it’s going to take to move past a club level.”
From Club Level to Culture Shift
Still, the sport faces enormous challenges. Players pay to play. Injuries often go uncovered. Sponsorships and media coverage are minimal compared to men’s leagues. But what women’s tackle football lacks in funding, it makes up for in heart, community, and sheer willpower.
When the Detroit Prowl and MIFA All-Stars met at midfield after their game, the scoreboard no longer mattered. They hugged, laughed, and celebrated a deeper victory—the unbreakable sisterhood of women who dare to claim space in a game that rarely welcomed them.
The Road Ahead
With growing league visibility, corporate support, ESPN deals, and Olympic momentum through flag football, women’s tackle football is at a turning point. What was once relegated to empty bleachers and self-funded uniforms is inching toward national recognition.
But for that to happen, the industry must invest—not just in championships, but in insurance, salaries, sponsorships, and youth development programs.
If given the platform, these women won’t just play the game—they’ll change it.
Because football isn’t just about touchdowns. It’s about determination, equity, and proving—play after play—that women belong wherever the game is played.
